Rise of the Guardians One Shots
by CAWHS
Summary: A collection of one shots and drabbles about the guardians. Contains a variety of lengths, genres, and time frames.
1. Graves

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Rise of the Guardians_**

* * *

The idea hadn't come to him at first. What had started as a simple visit to Tooth Palace had quickly turned into an emotional breakthrough for the guardian of fun. He wasn't entirely sure how it happened, however he didn't regret the experience. Not in the least.

Earlier that day, Jack flew to Tooth Palace in order to return his memories to Tooth for safe keeping. He hadn't told the other guardians what he witnessed when he looked inside his memories, deciding that the affair was entirely too personal, and the others accepted this without complaint. It was expected, really. After all, they rarely spoke of their own pasts. The only piece of information regarding Jack's past that the guardians knew of was the simple fact that he had died in order to become an immortal, a trait he did not have in common with the others.

When Tooth first saw him, she immediately brought her work to a halt, delighted to see the winter spirit. She greeted him warmly, but quickly became confused when he pulled out the small, golden box from the front pocket of his hoodie.

"I just wanted to return this," Jack said simply. Tooth gently took the memory box from his hands.

"Are you sure, Jack? They are yours. You can hang on to them if you want," she explained. He immediately declined.

"No, no. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that I got to see them – got to _remember_ – but it's better not to dwell on that. I saw them once, and that's all I need for now. Besides, it's not exactly like I have anywhere to store it, now do I?" He smiled at her, content with his decision. She smiled back and handed Jack's memory box to a nearby Baby Tooth. After instructing her to store Jack's memories with those of the others guardians, Baby Tooth nodded in understanding and promptly flew off with the box. Jack watched the fairy fly away into the vast storage system.

"Are you alright, Jack?" Tooth prompted carefully. Jack jumped slightly but was quick to flash her a grin.

"Of course I am," he said. Tooth raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't press the issue further. The two stood in a comfortable silence for a moment.

"Did you know that I had a sister, Tooth?" Jack asked suddenly. The fairy shook her head, studying Jack as his eyes glazed over slightly and he stared into nothing.

"I didn't know that," she said.

"I wonder what happened to her," he continued. "I wish that I had remembered her when I woke up. I could have watched her grow up." He chuckled humorlessly, before snapping out of his haze. He grinned at Tooth. "Thank you for helping me remember her."

Tooth returned Jack's smile with one of her own and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. With that, Jack beckoned the wind, gracefully jumping into the air. A heavy gust of air lifted him into the sky.

He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, however he soon found himself above the small town of Burgess. He supposed the wind simply wanted to take him home, not having a specific location to take its old companion. Jack's feet gently met the ground. The crisp snow crunched beneath his bare feet, failing in its mission to chill the naked skin. Jack's shoulders slumped as he collapsed onto his back in the soft substance. He nestled into the snow bank.

"Jack?"

Jack raised his head slightly, wondering whom the voice belonged to. His eyes scanned the surrounding forest and pond, but after further inspection he deemed the sound to be part of his tired imagination. He relaxed his head back into the snow bank.

"Jack?"

Jack's eyes snapped open – he hadn't remembered closing them – and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He raised an eyebrow at his surroundings.

"Jack? Where are you?"

Curiosity burned him, and he quickly jumped to his feet, staff in hand, and pushed his way past the trees and bushes that blocked his way. He walked several feet into the forest, wondering where the voice came from. After several silent minutes, he almost gave up and returned to his pond. However, the voice quickly returned, beckoning him forward.

Jack ran towards the voice as it began to grow more frantic. At one point he was aware that he was all but sprinting past the iced foliage, desperate to reach the voice. Just as he reached a clearing, he felt his body jerk to a halt.

A small girl with mousy, brown hair stood staring at him with large, innocent eyes. His breath hitched as he felt his throat constrict with emotions. He swallowed heavily and dared to push his luck.

"Rosie?"

The girl gave him a toothy grin, giggling as she ran up to him.

"Jack! You found me!" she cheered. She gave him a tight hug, throwing her small arms around his narrow body. Jack gave a raspy laugh, unable to believe what was happening.

"Rosie!" He returned her hug, too caught in the moment to think the situation through. His sister was with him again, and he refused to believe that it was an impossible scenario. "I missed you, Rosie." Rose released their hug, giving him a questioning look.

"What do you mean? Where have you been?" she asked. Jack looked at her in disbelief.

"I haven't seen you in centuries, Rosie!" he exclaimed. She stared at him, confusion evident on her face, before breaking out into giggles.

"You're funny, Jack," she said, deciding that her brother's strange behavior was simply one of his usual jokes. She turned to walk into the forest. "Come on, Jack! You said that you would take me ice skating today!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. Jack looked at her in alarm.

"What…?" he asked dumbly. Rose pouted at him.

"You can't back out now. I've been waiting all week for this. You _promised!_" she demanded. Jack shook his head.

"No, Rosie. I'm not going to take you ice skating," he said. Her smile fell as she studied her brother.

"But you promised," she whined. Jack bit his lip, completely uncomfortable with the sudden turn of events.

"You need to trust me, Rosie. Ice skating isn't a good idea," he said.

"And why not?"

"It just isn't. I don't think that the ice is thick enough."

"You checked it yesterday and said that with the temperature drop it would be fine!"

"Well, I changed my mind. I'm sorry," Jack pleaded. Rosie frowned at her brother. Without warning, she turned and sprinted into the forest, shouting at Jack in her wake.

"Fine! I'll just go by myself!"

Jack immediately took off after her, however she was quickly lost to him in the tangle of trees.

"Rosie! Come back!" he shouted into the trees. He received no response. "_Rosemary!_"

He panicked, chest heaving as he struggled not to hyperventilate.

"Jack? Jack, are you alright? You need to wake up, Jack."

Jack's eyes snapped opened. It was considerably darker than it was before he fell asleep, however this was duly noted as he found Tooth and Sandy standing over him, concern evident in their eyes. He blinked at them.

"Are you alright?" Tooth repeated as Jack pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"I'm fine," he said. He heard a snort behind him and he turned to see Bunnymund standing a few feet away. North stood next to the rabbit. Had Jack not been fighting off the remnants of sleep, he most likely would have smirked at the sight of the intimidating, tattooed Russian standing next to the massive rabbit. However, considering his self-awareness, he was only able to stare blankly at the duo.

"That was an awful lie," Bunny stated.

"Why are you all here?" Jack asked, ignoring Bunny's words.

"Tooth called. She said you seemed troubled. So, we are here," North explained simply enough. Jack quickly turned to look at Tooth who shrugged at the statement. North frowned at the winter spirit. "What troubles you, Jack?"

Jack stared at the ground. His chest felt hallow and tight all at the same time. His words escaped him. He knew that he was upset, however _what_ was upsetting him was hard to say. Memories flashed and danced in front of his eyes. A small girl with brown hair and eyes spoke enthusiastically, gesturing animatedly for him to follow her. A woman that held a striking resemblance to the girl smiled lovingly at him, trying her best to suppress the giggles that threatened to take over. A man placed a strong hand on Jack's shoulder as Jack aimed a gun carefully at an unsuspecting fox. With a resounding bang, the man clapped him on the shoulder, offering words of praise.

"Are you _crying_?"

He wasn't sure who made the statement, but suddenly Jack was aware of the wetness in his eyes. He carefully brought a shaky hand to his cheek, feeling a faint trail of tears. It wasn't much, just a subtle trickle, but it was there nonetheless. He took a deep breath in an attempt to regain control of himself, but he found it too difficult to care enough. He simply let the salty water roll slowly down his face. He found that he was finally able to find the words that he was looking for.

"I miss them," he whispered. He didn't choke or stutter on his words, merely stating them as fact.

He felt exhausted, not wanting to move from his position in the comforting snow, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to his fellow guardians. He shrugged North's hand from his shoulder – when had North put his hand there? – and promptly stood up, swaying slightly as the blood rushed quickly to his head. He shook the sudden blindness from his eyes and stumbled towards the forest.

He shoved his way through the trees. His usual grace left him completely as he stumbled about, struggling to keep himself upright. When he finally reached a clearing, his heart plummeted.

A small, aged cemetery stood quietly in the middle of the clearing. For _centuries_ each name in the cemetery was unfamiliar. Every single name was simply that: a name. He hadn't known the people, but now he knew. He _remembered_. Jack blinked heavily at the sight in front of him before continuing his way towards the graveyard.

The cemetery was not gated. It was a small gathering of centuries old tombstones that managed to stay standing throughout the years. Jack stared at each tombstone, his mind drawing to a blank as he read the name of each occupant. He came to a halt, eyes growing wide as he caught sight of three familiar names etched into crumbling tombstones. His family – father, mother, and sister – all lay still underneath the ground.

Jack stared at the names, body growing rigid. However, a fourth name was his complete undoing.

_Jackson Overland_

_Loving brother and son_

_Hero_

_1694-1712_

Jack was numbly aware of falling to his knees and cradling his head in his hands. Fresh tears leaked furiously from his eyes, but he still found himself unable to make any sound. His body shook occasionally, the sudden release of emotion too much to contain.

A comforting hand gently met his shoulder and he found himself unable to shrug off the sudden embrace. It was warm and familiar, but he refused to meet the caring gaze of the man who offered the comfort. It was not his father, but he could force ignorance in order to pretend, if only for a little while.

The remaining four guardians stood around their youngest member in silence. They followed the winter spirit as he stumbled almost drunkenly through the forest that was his typical abode. They were alarmed to say the least and were quick to follow. When they were met with the sight of their youngest collapsed on the ground in front of not only the graves of his family members but his own, they quietly gathered around him, hoping to give him some sort of support. North cautiously reached out and placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. The boy didn't look at him, but he didn't shy away either.

While they didn't know what exactly occurred in Jack's human life, they would offer him support where they could. And perhaps, in some way, this event would lay the foundation that was necessary in order for Jack's trust to grow.


	2. Warmth

Jack was stretched lazily on one of North's rather large armchairs in one of the many lounges of his workshop. The room was quiet, save for the soft crackling of the fire. Jack was sure to settle himself in an armchair that was neither too close nor too far from the radiating heat of the flames.

In the beginning, it had been a struggle for him to find that perfect balance between warmth and too much heat. While he was a winter spirit, that did not diminish the fact that he was human and enjoyed soft warmth every now and again. Of course, too _much_ heat was his downfall. But now, lounging in the thick armchair with the gentle warmth curling around him, Jack felt content.

He knew eventually that the warmth would grow and become too much for him. When that happened, he would need to move and find a cooler area to spend his time. But for the time being, he allowed his eyes to close and the comfort of the heat and the armchair to envelope him.

Later that evening, North walked into the lounge looking for the white-haired teenager. When he spotted Jack deep in sleep in the chair by the dying fire, he couldn't stop his sudden, soft smile. He quietly walked over to the fireplace and extinguished the last of the flickering embers, knowing that Jack was warm enough.


	3. Brightness in the World

**Set before the movie**

* * *

Jack was amazed with his world. Of course, his amazement was often forgotten when his incredible loneliness took over. But when night came and he caught a glimpse of the Sandman's golden streams of sand, he was able to forget for just a little while. He would jump on roofs and play with the golden ropes, producing several images that would smile at him or fly around his head before evaporating before him.

Occasionally, when he had a few moments to share, Sandy would come down from his golden cloud and send a friendly greeting to the winter spirit. These moments were rare, however Jack would never complain. The Sandman was one of the few spirits in the world that wouldn't pick fights with him, or worse, ignore him completely.

Every once and a while, Jack would run into one of the Tooth Fairy's helpers. Little interaction occurred between Jack and the mini fairies, a quick sharing of eye contact, a flash of a smile, or a quick swoon being the most common, but it was a small taste of the acknowledgement that Jack craved. He had never met the Tooth Fairy herself – he wasn't entirely sure where her home was – but he was curious as to why she never seemed to venture out far in the world.

However, the most common beings he met during his travels were other elemental spirits like himself. There were very few that he got along with. Often when he crossed paths with another elemental their meetings would quickly escalate into fights if they lasted for too long. Elemental spirits were often quite hostile, an unfortunate side-effect that developed when one was left alone for centuries at a time. Their hostility was necessary for their lonely survival, a trait that was not so strong with Jack.

Nonetheless, when Jack encountered the aftermath that spirit's left behind, he was always amazed at what they could do. The power that each immortal harnessed always caught Jack's interest, and in times when they were most noticeable, he was able to forget about his loneliness for just a little while.


	4. Touch

**Hello! So, I've officially made it four chapters in without any real author's notes, so I'll post my first one here. Thanks for reading this story and to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, and followed! It really is motivating to see that people are enjoying this. If you have a moment, please review. Even if it's criticism! I would love feedback of any kind. Other than that, I present to you the fourth story in this series of one shots. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was completely unexpected.

Granted, the boy had been deprived of human contact for _three hundred _years. Nonetheless, the boy's behavior had taken the guardians by surprise.

The latest sign of the behavior was when Jack visited the Warren. Jack dropped by to visit the Easter spirit as he was flying over Australia.

"I just happened to be in the area," Jack explained with a grin on his face to the Pooka. Bunnymund shook his head, but smirked despite himself.

"Sure. Whatever you say, Frostbite. Just make sure not to freeze anything," he said.

So Jack spent his day following Bunny around as he checked up on the activities in his Warren. They chatted idly and the day was spent in relaxed leisure. That is until Jack grew bored and challenged the Pooka to a race.

"Oh, no, you don't. You wouldn't stand a chance," Bunny warned. Jack's eyes sparked with mischief at the challenge.

"Really? I think you're just afraid that you'll lose," he replied. That was all the two needed before they took off leaping and bounding, or, in Jack's case, flying. The decided finish line was a particularly large tree that was situated next to Bunny's river of egg paint.

While occasionally one of the two would take a lead, the two continued their race at fairly the same pace. The two continued at tremendous speed for some time before the incident occurred.

As the tree came quickly into view, Jack smirked to himself as he decided to create a small patch of ice beneath Bunny's paws. A little bit of ice couldn't hurt, he decided. After all, it wasn't _really_ his fault if Bunny lost his balance, now was it? He cackled as Bunny skidded abruptly on the ice, however the sound quickly disappeared as Bunny crashed into him. Jack's eyes widened in panic as the Pooka collapsed into him and sent them tumbling beside the designated finish line. He couldn't prevent the sudden shout that left his mouth.

"NO!"

The entire accident was not a long one. It was over as quickly as it started. However this did not stop Jack from flinging himself away from Bunny, gasping for breath and eyes wide with panic. Bunny shook off his disorientation and righted himself, giving the winter spirit a light glare.

"Jack, you little cheater!" he snapped. His expression quickly turned into one of confusion when he looked at Jack. "Hey, are you alright, Frostbite?"

"Don't do that!" Jack snapped. The winds picked up slightly and the air cooled several degrees. Jack's eyes lost their earlier panic as they narrowed in on the other guardian. His body went rigid as it launched itself into a defensive stance.

"What are you talking about? Don't do what?" Bunny asked, alarmed by the sudden change in the spirit's attitude.

"Don't touch me!" Bunny cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know that _you_ tripped _me_. Not the other way around," he defended. Jack's stance softened slightly, but did not give way completely. The two guardians glared at one another, each holding their ground. Every instinct Jack had screamed at him to leave, to escape the tension, but he refused. Bunny held just as strong as he regarded Jack. He couldn't quite comprehend what Jack had against touch. After all, hadn't that been what the boy craved for _years_? After the defeat of Pitch he allowed both Tooth and Jamie to hug him.

However Bunny _had_ noticed that Jack seemed to avoid physical contact with the other guardians. When a brief touch was shared, such as a hand on his shoulder or a clap on the back, Jack immediately tensed and flinched away from the source. The Pooka didn't understand that sudden change of mind, and silently demanded that Jack tell him what the issue was. Sensing that the fight had lost its cause, Jack sighed and slumped slightly, losing his earlier aggression. The wind lifted, softening like its companion.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm just not used to it yet. It still scares me."

"What scares you about it?" Bunny tried, feeling his muscles mirror Jack's as they relaxed. Jack shrugged, tensing up once again. His face contorted slightly as he mentally battled himself over whether or not the next piece of information should be shared. Bunny waited patiently as he observed the winter spirit struggle with his own mental war. Finally, Jack sighed.

"I don't know," he started. "I guess I just always expect people to go through me. I know that you guys won't – never _did_ – but it doesn't keep me from panicking. You know what? Forget it. It's stupid." Jack released a gust of air from his lips, tossing his hands up to cover his face as he shook his head.

"It's not stupid, Jack," Bunny said. Jack snapped his head up from his hands to look at the Pooka. He cocked an eyebrow, inviting Bunny to elaborate. "It's a genuine fear that's not without cause. You know, recently I learned exactly how it feels to not be believed in and to be walked through. It was bloody _terrible_. I never want to have to experience that again. And I know that if I experienced that for hundreds of years, then I would be pretty spooked about touch too."

Jack absorbed Bunny's words and absent mindedly leaned against a nearby tree. It took a moment before his eyes suddenly lit with life again. He chuckled softly, releasing the final remnants of tension in the air.

"Looks like I win, rabbit," he said as he glanced up at the tall tree. Bunny gave Jack a look of complete disbelief.

"You can't be serious, mate!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, but I am."

"You _cheated!_ Creating that ice to deliberately make me trip is enough to disqualify you in my opinion."

"Bunny?"

"_What?_"

"Thanks."


	5. The Wind

The wind was his companion.

This was one of the first things that Jack was aware of. While the rest of the world was quick to withdraw itself from Jack, the wind embraced him completely. Whenever the winter spirit felt the bitter tangs of loneliness start to seep into him, the wind would curl itself around him, offering the little comfort that it could. No words were exchanged between the two – after all, they didn't have a detailed mean of communication – but that wasn't a necessity in their relationship.

Jack was not the master of the wind, nor was the wind the master of Jack. They were two equals that accepted the other entirely. They were perfectly matched misfits in a world that couldn't possibly hope to understand them. Jack, who often thought of himself as the extra piece in the puzzle that would never click with another, was disregarded and cast aside. Then there was the wind: the invisible spirit with a complexity that the other immortals couldn't possibly begin to understand. After all, the wind was too old for any other immortal being to document its beginnings and too selective of whom it chose to make its companion. Sure, most elemental and seasonal spirits could catch a ride on its currents, but none of them were true companions. That title was reserved for Jack. Why this was, Jack could never explain.

So naturally, one day, the guardians asked him about the matter.

"The wind just seems to _get_ you, if that makes any sense," Tooth commented. Jack shrugged.

"I guess so," he replied.

"Why is that? Why are you so special?" Bunny asked. Had the question come from anyone other than Bunny, the words would have been offensive. However Jack and the others did not take them this way.

But Jack did think the question over. He had always wondered why the wind thought of him as deserving. What special characteristics did the wind see in him that it did not see in any of the other spirits? Why _him?_ They were not unlike the questions that he wondered about himself and the Man in the Moon. However during the past three hundred years, Jack was more curious about his purpose and why the Man in the Moon chose him specifically to carry out the unknown task, so his thoughts about the wind were typically pushed to the back of his mind. Now that he had the answers to everything he had wanted to know during his life as Jack Frost, his focus had shifted. While he occasionally allowed his thoughts to stray towards his relationship with the wind, he did not ponder on them for too long. He was always at peace with the unknown behind the wind and its ways. The friendship between them was strong enough that it did not need answers.

So, after giving Bunny's question a few heavy moments of thought, he replied with the most honest answer that he could supply.

"I don't know. But I'm okay with that. The wind has its reasons and I won't push for answers that it can't provide. I'm just glad that it chose me."


	6. Heat: Part 1

He would later claim that he didn't get the timing quite right – not that Bunny would let him forget. It was an honest mistake with costly consequences. But in the early morning dusk, Jack couldn't find it within himself to care. Besides, all he really wanted to see was the desert.

Jack discovered during his early years of world travel that he was able to quickly pass through deserts and deliver short bouts of frost. He found great joy in flying over the vast planes of sand and seeing the occasional wildlife scamper through the sand dunes. Naturally, because he enjoyed these quiet flights (his lonely, bitter self would say), these visits had their limitations. While deserts themselves typically cooled during the nights, they were usually still too hot for Jack to stay for too long. He found that if the weather permitted, he could stay for an hour or two in the middle of the night on the outskirts of the desert. Feeling the desire for a peaceful flight after setting loose a gentile snowfall in southern Germany, Jack set off for the Sahara.

It was around five o'clock in the morning when Jack arrived. Looking back on the situation, he knew that that should have been his first warning to leave. Adding to his situation, the wind carried him slightly further into the core of desert than was preferable. That should have been his second warning. But acting purely on impulse, Jack decided to stay. After all, he wanted to have a little fun.

So he stayed and shot weak blasts of ice at the grainy sand below him. He scowled when the ice melted before it hit the ground. That should have been his third warning. Annoyed, he lowered himself from the air and placed his bare feet on the sand.

He immediately yelped and retreated back into the comfort of the wind. He swayed in the air as he composed himself. That was when he noticed how thick the air had become. The wind was not as light as it typically was during his visits. He tugged at the collar of his hoodie, suddenly aware of how suffocating it was. Panicked slightly, he ripped the garment over his head, revealing a plain, white t-shirt underneath. His breath quickened. He forced himself to take a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. But when small trickles of sweat began to drip from his face, he lost his composure.

"Wind! Get me out of here!" he yelled. His companion was quick to comply. Jack was shot through the air, hoodie and staff in tow as he ripped through the currents. He gulped at the air, desperate to find anything that would relive him of the unexpected dryness he felt in his throat. Unfortunately, the African air failed to deliver him what he needed.

As he neared Cairo, he began to feel light headed. He lowered himself to an air current that was closer to ground level, knowing that the inevitable was soon to come. He was correct in his suspicions, however it happened much quicker than he anticipated. Before he was ready, he felt his heavy eyelids droop close and his staff and hoodie slip from his hands. After losing the conduit of his powers, his only connection to the wind, he plummeted through the air. Everything became dark.

It was one of Tooth's helpers that found him. The small fairy was sent to Cairo in order to retrieve a tooth and found the unconscious and much paler Jack Frost near the city limit. She immediately left for Tooth Palace where she knew she would find Tooth herself. Flashing a concerned look towards the unconscious teen, she set off for help.

Her flight was quick – centuries of being a tooth fairy taught her nothing if not to be fast – and she soon found herself nearly colliding with a confused Tooth.

"Wow, slow down! What's wrong, sweet tooth?" she asked. The fairy elicited a series of frantic chirps that had Tooth hanging on to every sound. After hearing the story, she rushed out of Tooth Palace to Cairo, thoughts of an injured Jack Frost the only things occupying her mind.

* * *

**This will be a two-shot! I'm anticipating the second part to be roughly the same length, but we'll what happens. I could have waited to post this until it was completely finished, but I knew that I wasn't going to finish it tonight and I wanted to get something out there because I haven't updated in a few days. I'll have part two up soon!**


	7. Heat: Part 2

**I'm sorry this took me so long to get out! I became busy and then lost motivation. This was quite rushed and I apologize for that. It didn't get the attention that it needed. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

When Tooth was finally able to find Jack, she landed beside him. Her alarm immediately set in.

He was abnormally colored, as the usual tint of blue had drained itself from his flesh to be replaced by the heat. His breath was raspy and erratic. However, what concerned Tooth the most was the fact that he was drenched in a layer of sweat. His thin, white t-shirt was tinted dark as it absorbed the moister off of his skin. Around him, his sweat rolled off of his body and onto the surrounding sand.

There were many things that the guardians didn't know about Jack Frost. However, Tooth knew that sweating was not a good sign for the winter spirit. Immediately recognizing the need to bring him to a cooler part of the world, Tooth collected him into her arms and set off for Santoff Clausen.

It wasn't nearly as difficult to carry him as Tooth had thought, however his lightness did not surprise her. After all, the wind was able to pick him up and carry him and she supposed one needed to be light in order to do so.

With Tooth's speed, their flight to the North Pole was not a long one, however each passing second only filled Tooth with more and more concern. Jack was so still in her arms, and panic was beginning to overwhelm her. She suspected that the only thing keeping her focused was the prospect of helping the boy the only way she could.

When the duo arrived at North's workshop, Tooth wasted no time as she set off looking for the Russian. When she finally found him delicately sculpting a beautiful ice figurine in his work room, she called for his attention. When he saw the limp form of a flushed-looking Jack Frost in her arms, he gave her a look of concerned curiosity, silently asking for an explanation. He gently set down his tools and advanced towards them.

Tooth hastily explained what had happened. North thought for a moment before coming to his conclusion.

"I do not know what we can do other than cool him off. We must leave him outside," he said in defeat. Tooth's eyes widened.

"_North!_ We can't just leave him _outside!_" she countered.

"What do you suppose we do then?" North asked, knowing she would have no other solution. Tooth bit her lip before shaking her head.

Tooth gently handed Jack over to North, taking care not to jostle the boy. North then led the way out of the workshop. Once outside, they dug a shallow bank of snow in which to lie Jack. Tooth turned to North.

"What do we do now?" she asked. North shrugged, however there was a glint of concern in his eyes.

"We can only wait," he stated. He then added, "we should contact Bunnymund and Sandy about this. To let them know what happened. Perhaps they will have advice."

It was several hours before Jack awoke. He wasn't going to lie, he wasn't feeling his best. However his body temperature had returned to normal and he felt much stronger than he had in the Sahara. Once he shrugged off his grogginess, he panicked slightly. Both his hoodie and his staff were gone. He quickly shoved himself onto his feet, only to be met with a sudden flash of blindness and a dizzying sensation. Before he could gain equilibrium, he was on the ground once again.

"Jack!"

Carefully, Jack opened his eyes again. He was met with large, violet eyes that looked at him with concern.

"Tooth?" he asked.

"Are you alright? We were so worried about you!"

"We?" Jack carefully sat up, much slower this time, and saw his fellow guardians surrounding him. He stared at them blankly for a moment as he attempted to regain his senses.

"Mind explaining why you were flying around the Sahara desert by yourself, mate?" Bunny demanded. The question lacked its typical force, however Jack knew it was a question that he could not evade. Unfortunately, he found himself unable to form any coherent sentences.

"I don't know," was all that he could reply with. Bunny raised a brow at the answer, but decided to let the subject drop until Jack dropped his drowsiness. For the time being, the guardians helped lead Jack back into North's workshop. Now that his temperature was in check, it was time for him to get some proper sleep. Sandy would be sure of it.

Jack slept for several hours, however once he awoke it was as if he was never ill to begin with. His hoodie and his staff were both returned to him and he explained the situation to the guardians. It was a brief explanation, simply saying that he had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, however it was accepted. But Jack was glad that the guardians had been there for him, as he was sure that he would have been lost if they hadn't.


End file.
